Community spaces are a key issue in the development of community. Community groups require low-cost facilities in which to meet and carry out their activities and young people, in particular, require places to go where they can gather together in an unstructured way without being accused of anti-social behaviour. All members of the community require sport and recreation facilities to improve their quality of life.

In the consultation leading to the development of a national play strategy for Ireland, more than 2,000 children wrote to the Minister for Children, identifying play and recreation as a major quality of life issue for them. Article 31 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child recognises the right of the child to engage in play and recreational activities. Yet, many children live in communities with minimum or no play and recreational facilities.

Green Party councillors work to:

1. Secure sufficient low-cost community spaces, which are multi-purpose and capable of facilitating a wide range of activities for everyone in the community from senior citizen groups to toddler groups. The needs of young people in particular should be taken into account in the provision of such facilities i.e. facilities that close during the evenings and weekends are of little value to teenagers.
2. Encourage local authorities to make land in their possession available to community groups by means of long-term, low-cost, lease agreements.
3. Ensure liaison between local authorities and school management boards regarding the use of school buildings out of school hours for a range of community activities.
4. Carry out an audit of sports facilities and requirements within the local area and provide 'green maps' which show the available facilities.
5. Ensure the provision of sports facilities for all ages including senior citizens.
6. Ensure accessibility as a key component in the provision of sports and recreational facilities.
7. Ensure that local authority-owned amenities are not privatised.
8. Ensure that sports facilities are adequately funded and maintained.
9. Ensure that sports grants are equitably distributed.

Our educational system, the planning of our housing estates, support for community and family structures and reduction of social disadvantage, must be addressed as part of any considered response to the deterioration in our communities.

Anti-social behaviour results in the destruction of community facilities, the undermining of law and order and the generation of fear in householders, especially the elderly. However, the Green Party does not believe that anti-social behaviour orders (Asbos) address the real issues behind such behaviour and supports the following alternative responses to Asbos.

1. Appropriate design of buildings and communities, such as effective noise insulation standards between dwellings; traffic-calming features in built-up areas; ensuring that streets are well-lit alongside open and visible spaces; and clearly defined boundaries between individual houses on an estate.
2. The development of a charter of rights and responsibilities for local authority tenants, which is agreed by each set of local authority tenants in a given area; those that work best are as consultative as possible.
3. A multi-agency approach in the drawing up of Anti-Social Behaviour Strategies, which are required under the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008, with protocols for evictions that involve defined and clear procedures.
4. Adoption of policy guidelines, which ensure that procedures for evictions for anti-social behaviour are brought under the 1997 legislation, not the 1966 Housing Act. The 1997 Act defines Anti-Social Behaviour where the 1966 Housing Act does not and the burden of proof is therefore much higher under the latter legislation.
5. The development of anti-social behaviour strategies that focus on early intervention such as mediation, family support and other appropriate interventions to prevent and reduce anti-social behaviour.
6. Use of Case Conferencing where anti-social behaviour has been identified. Case Conferencing brings together the child, the parent(s), Gárda­, educational and social services and has been proven to work for the benefit of the offender and society as a whole.
7. Extensive use of the Gárda Youth Diversion Programme; almost 90 per cent of children admitted to the programme do not come to the notice of the Gárda again before their 18th birthday.
8. Engagement with community policing forums; greater liaison between police and the community has proven benefits in reducing anti-social behaviour by creating a higher level of trust and a willingness to work through problems rather than resorting to the criminal justice system.
9. Joint policing committees which give local representatives the opportunity to engage with An Gárda Síochána and the community and voluntary sector in the management of policing and crime issues.

The Green Party is strongly committed to investment in our education system on a lifelong basis from early development through to adult education. We believe that failure to invest in education leads to serious inequalities in society which, in the long-term, lead to suffering for all, whether through increased taxes, an increased crime rate or a reduction in our economic potential.

Budgetary constraints due to the current economic downturn mean that in this area, in particular, we have had to accept cuts which are highly unpalatable. The Green Party has worked hard in government to mitigate the effects of these cuts as much as possible.

Although local authorities do not have overall authority in the area of education, they nonetheless contribute in many ways to the educational environment in their local area.

Green Party councillors in local government ensure that:

1. Development plans and planning permissions use best practice in terms of promoting sustainable, properly facilitated developments including the designation of lands alongside new housing developments for créches, pre-schools, primary and post-primary schools (see Planning Section 2.1).
2. Local authorities purchase sufficient sites for new schools on behalf of the Department of Education so that all children within their catchment area have the opportunity to attend a local school.
3. Arrangements are put in place in liaison with school boards to allow multi-use of school facilities outside of school hours.
4. Local authorities liaise with schools to develop transport management plans, especially with regard to safe routes for walking and cycling; this would include the provision of bicycle racks in school grounds.
5. Local authorities liaise with schools and the Department of Education to ensure that sufficient storage facilities are available in schools or on school grounds so that children do not have to carry heavy text books or other equipment for school.
6. Local authorities liaise with the Department of Education on the provision of school buses.
7. Local authorities promote the Incredible Edibles Programme, initiated by Green Minister Trevor Sargent, which is designed to encourage school children to grow their own food thereby learning where their food comes from as well as developing healthy eating habits.
8. Local Agenda 21 funding is widely distributed among local groups for environmental education projects.
9. Local authorities work closely with An Taisce to promote the Green Schools Programme.
10. The local VEC is supported by whatever means available in its endeavours to further educate the local community. Many councillors sit on the Boards of VECs and this provides a direct link between the local authority and VECs to work together on further education so that education becomes a genuinely lifelong experience.
11. Third-level grants are distributed efficiently so that those most in need are enabled to participate in third-level education.
12. Post-primary Transition-year internships in local authorities and volunteer centres are encouraged so that young people develop a sense of participation in the public life of their locality.
13. Libraries provide the best support for students including mobile units and up-to-date technology for homework and research.
14. Libraries encourage the use of their facilities by those who may be socially excluded through, for example, 'Bibliotherapy' (book readings), a form of therapy widely used in the UK to treat people with depression but which is also used as a social outlet for elderly people or those with literacy difficulties.

The Green Party recognises that what is most important in keeping us healthy for most of our life is not the health service but how we live. Our community and environment can help us or hinder us in choosing a healthy lifestyle. Although health does not fall under the remit of local authorities per se, they play a major role in shaping the environment in which we live through planning decisions, housing, transport, water and sanitation and as such have a vital role to play in helping people to live healthy lives and in working with the health services to help people recover from illness.

Green Party councillors support health and healthy lifestyles in these ways:

1. Ensure that development plans make adequate provision for Primary Health Care Centres to facilitate greater accessibility to healthcare locally.
2. Liaise with the Health Services Executive to facilitate the provision of Community Care by whatever means available to local authorities.
3. Provide sufficient sheltered accommodation for elderly persons within the community as well as sufficient adapted accommodation for people with disabilities to enable independent living in a safe and healthy environment.
4. Create a built environment that not only allows for but actively encourages physical activity e.g. parks, recreational facilities, playgrounds, sports facilities.
5. Through development plans, ensure that fast-food outlets do not operate in proximity to schools at primary or post-primary level and encourage the establishment of healthy-eating outlets instead.
6. Ensure that junk-food advertising is not situated in close proximity to schools. As part of a review of broadcasting in Ireland, Minister Eamon Ryan is examining the issue of junk-food advertising. Local authorities can play their part in this with regard to billboard advertising and signage.
7. Encourage the procurement of healthy, locally-produced foods in local authorities, schools, hospitals and other public institutions, which not only has a beneficial health impact but also supports the local economy.
8. Ensure Water Source Protection by implementing legislation and guidelines to the highest possible standards in order to reduce the health risks posed by contamination.
9. Work with the Health Promotion Unit and local community groups to develop and deliver targeted local Health Programmes aimed at all ages and social groups.
10. Encourage the growing of food at home or in schools so that people not only learn about where their food comes from, they also learn healthy eating habits. The provision of land for allotments and community gardens is an area in which local authorities can be highly pro-active in encouraging healthy eating locally.
11. Introduce safe routes to school in conjunction with An Taisce's Green Schools Initiative Travel Module. Safe Routes have been shown to significantly reduce the use of cars for school journeys and to increase the use of walking and cycling accordingly, thereby encouraging physical rather than sedentary activity.

The Green Party believes that the arts and culture are key facets in building a strong sense of community and identity.

Green Party councillors:

1. Encourage greater partnership between local authorities and the Arts Council with a view to funding for arts locally.
2. Support Arts infrastructure such as art centres, theatres and festivals to ensure the delivery of quality cultural activities.
3. Ensure local library services actively help to advance an awareness of art and literature.
4. Endeavour to develop arts projects with cross-cultural themes to encourage intercultural awareness.
5. Develop art education programmes for children and young people and encourage participation in these programmes among schools.
6. Activate the 'one per cent for art' commissioning scheme and extend it where relevant to provide commissioning opportunities for local artists.
7. Support the funding of locally-based film commissions administered by local interests.

The Green Party believes that the scale of development in Ireland in the recent past has created a need for action to protect Ireland's valuable stock of built heritage.

Green Party councillors ensure that local authorities:

1. Collect and disseminate information with regard to local built heritage and archaeology.
2. Control access to sensitive local sites from mass tourism.
3. Use the Heritage Protection Provisions in the Planning and Development Act 2000 to ensure ongoing protection of local heritage sites.

Tagann cosaint na Gaeilge le bunphrionsabail an Chomhaontais Ghlais. Creidimid go bhfuil sé den riachtanas acmhainní a chaomhnú ionas go mbeidh an tsochaí ina mairimid inmharthanach amach anseo. Is acmhainn thábhachtach chultúrtha do phobal na hÉireann í an Ghaeilge, ach is acmhainn leochaileach, leonta í ar ghá í a chosaint. Tá ról lárnach ag údaráis áitiúla i gcur chun cinn na Gaeilge trí na seirbhísí poiblí a chuireann siad ar fáil. Is féidir leis na húdaráis áitiúla a chinntiú gur féidir le gach duine seirbhísí poiblí a fháil i nGaeilge más mian leis/ léi.

The protection of Irish is in keeping with the founding principles of the Green Party. We believe that the conservation of resources is vital for a sustainable society. The Irish language is an important cultural resource for the people of Ireland but it is a vulnerable, damaged resource which needs protection. Local authorities are well-placed to promote the use of Irish through public services and to ensure that the Irish language is available to all those who wish to use it in dealing with public services. Green councillors ensure that local authorities:

Green councillors ensure that local authorities:

1. Make services available in Irish and promote the national bi-lingual policy.
2. Prioritise the promotion and development of the Irish language when considering new development schemes.
3. Place greater emphasis on local activities involving Irish.
4. Draw up and implement an emergency action plan for Gaeltacht areas to combat the further erosion of Irish in these areas.
5. Support the establishment of local Irish language centres in areas, which contain substantial numbers of Irish speakers, as part of a proposed national network of Irish language centres. These centres should provide a range of services including babysitting, translation, advice on the use of Irish in business, Irish language classes, homework clubs and advice on raising children in Irish.

One of the key aims of the Green Party is to provide for the inclusion of all members of society, both socially and economically, thereby enhancing everybody's quality of life. We are therefore committed to working towards equality in all aspects of our business both internally and externally. We do so by actively discouraging all forms of discrimination and social injustice as they occur and by ensuring that all barriers to participation in our endeavours are removed as appropriate. We actively seek to accommodate diversity and we work towards achieving equal outcomes across the nine grounds covered under equality legislation; gender, marital status, family status, age, disability, sexual orientation, race, religion and membership of the Travelling community.

Housing is one of the main areas in which local authorities can promote equality. However, there is a wide range of actions in other areas, which local authorities can take in conjunction with other agencies through city and county development boards.

Green Party councillors work to ensure that:

1. All persons are provided with adequate and appropriate information about services and entitlements in a range of formats and languages.
2. Local authorities institute equality plans covering all aspects of equality legislation.
3. Women are represented as decision-makers in local government, in local state institutions and community organisations.
4. Older people are provided with real and efficient local transport options.
5. Older people are provided with sheltered accommodation as an alternative to long-term institutional care.
6. Older people avail to the fullest extent possible of grants under the Scheme of Community Support for Older People, which provides funding for security measures for the elderly.
7. Traveller Action Plans are established and that local housing strategies are integrated with Traveller programmes.
8. Traveller Accommodation Programmes are fully implemented.
9. The Barcelona Declaration is fully implemented to protect the rights of people with disabilities.
10. Grants from national government to local authorities for renovation-works on houses for people with disabilities are availed of to ensure that all local authority houses are fully accessible.
11. Local integration campaigns are developed to promote an awareness and understanding of ethnic diversity.
12. There is meaningful participation at a local level of people from diverse ethnic backgrounds.
13. Local volunteer centres are fully supported by whatever means available to local authorities.
14. Libraries throughout the country introduce 'Bibliotherapy' (book readings), a form of therapy widely used in the UK to treat people with depression, but which is also used as a social outlet for elderly people or those with literacy difficulties.
15. Support the Irish Sports Council as fully as possible in delivering Local Sports Partnerships, which promote sport among all sections of the community including the elderly.
16. Engage Sports Development Officers (SDOs) to promote sport among young people locally. SDOs are currently being utilised by some local authorities as an effective tool in engaging young people at risk of drug misuse into more structured and positive activities. [e.g. www.dublincity.ie ]